Event Recap: For the Love of EveryLibrary
For the Love of EveryLibrary hosted a panel discussion on Saturday, March 1, featuring librarians and authors Rebekah Cummings, Jessica Day George, Tessa White, and Lehua Parker as they sat down with Garna Mejia to discuss the right to read. Here is a recap for those who missed it.
The discussion started out with answering the question why reading is important.
“You can change an entire point of view,” started Tessa White.
“We’re hardwired to learn through story,” stated Lehua Parker. The depth of a story within a book can help create a person's worldview.
“Reading opened up my whole world,” added Jessica Day George. She shared how reading books about difficult, real-world situations helped her to learn about it without experiencing it, teaching her how to respond and empathize. “[It] helped me be more compassionate.”
“If you experience that book first, you can play through it in your head,” added Rebekah Cummings. She explained how the experiences written about in books are a teaching moment, allowing readers to decide how they will react or respond in a similar situation. She also explained how difficult experiences, like scenes of sexual assault, are a teaching moment for those going through it in real life. These scenes give them language and context to what they are going through, and can give them the means to get out, protecting them.
The conversation then moved to the panelists breaking down the arguments for banning books, based on their personal experience with confrontations in their professional lives. The main argument as to why a book should be banned in Utah is because it’s labeled as “porn.” This then turns into anything that is unpleasant should not be shown to a child. As the debate forms, it turns into a dichotomy of people protecting kids v. people protecting books, which makes it hard for people to see the other side.
The panelists then gave advice on how to respond to these arguments, and create a constructive conversation. Lehua Parker said this starts with listening. “People with that mentality need to be heard and feel that they are heard first.” Jessica Day George added that you need to get to the root of it first before you respond. Once you know the true source of their concerns, then you can learn and make adjustments as Tessa White advised.
The discussion wrapped up with a conversation as to why book banning is unnecessary. The consensus was to trust qualified librarians to build up their collections to suit a diverse population, and to guide kids in finding a book that fits their individual interests and needs. Having a diverse collection is important, for, “What they’re ready for at a certain age is different for every kid,” explained Jessica Day George.
She also mentioned the importance of trusting kids. They are not dumb, don’t assume they can’t follow. They are active members of their socialization, and will decide what they can and cannot handle. “Kids are very good at self-selecting,” she said.
The productive discussion moved into ways for the audience can get involved and let decision-makers know that you support the right to read.
Write your elected officials including your federal and state officials, as well as elected school board members. Let them know that you trust teachers and librarians to teach and guide students in the best direction.
Sign the petition in support of Utah libraries, and in support of letting students read.